| 释义 |
painful, a.|ˈpeɪnfʊl|
Forms: see pain n.1
[f. pain n.1 + -ful.]
1. Full of, characterized by, or causing pain or suffering; hurting, afflictive, distressing, grievous; annoying, vexatious.
a. In general, or mentally.
c1340Hampole Prose Tr. 33 A gastely syghte of it how foule how vggly and how paynfull þat it [sin] es. c1410Love Bonavent. Mirr. xl. 87 (Gibbs MS.) Þe paynfull passyoun of Ihc. 1548–9(Mar.) Bk. Com. Prayer, Visit. Sick, After this painfull lyfe ended. 1658Whole Duty of Man vii. §1 How pleasant a virtue this is, may appear by the contrariety it hath to several great and painful vices. 1794Mrs. Radcliffe Myst. Udolpho i, An uncertainty which would have been more painful to an idle mind. 1829Landor Imag. Conv., Maid of Orleans & Agnes Sorel Wks. 1853 II. 39/1 Salutary pangs may be painfuller than mortal ones.
b. Physically.
1544T. Phaer Regim. Lyfe (1560) H j b, Nephretica is painfuller afore meat. 1612Chapman Widowes T. Plays 1873 III. 73 Alas shee's faint, and speech is painefull to her. 1703Rowe Ulyss. i. i. 228 Midnight Surfeits, Wine And painful undigested Morning Fumes. 1860Tyndall Glac. i. xxv. 178 A sky the brightness of which is painful to the eyes.
c. Of a person: Inflicting pain or punishment; tormenting. rare.
c1450Cursor M. 18223 (Laud) Satan that paynefull [Cott., Gött., pinful; Trin. pyneful] prynce he lawght And vnder myght of helle by-tawght. 1870G. Meredith France vi. in Odes Fr. Hist. (1898) 60 The painful Gods might weep, If ever rain of tears came out of heaven.
2. Suffering or affected with (physical) pain. (Usually of a part of the body which has been wounded or hurt.)
1590Spenser F.Q. iii. ii. 11 The loving mother, that nine monethes did beare In the deare closett of her painefull syde Her tender babe. 1612Bp. Hall Contempl., O.T. iv. iv, They see themselves lothsome with Lice, painful and deformed with Scabs. 1794Mrs. Radcliffe Myst. Udolpho iv, His wound was painful. 1877L. Morris Epic Hades i. 7 He wore a crown Upon his painful brow.
3. Causing or involving trouble or labour; troublesome, difficult, irksome, toilsome, laborious. Now rare or merged in 1.
c1375Sc. Leg Saints xxvii. (Machor) 1342 It sall be done..How paynefull or how hard it be. 1535J. Mason in Ellis Orig. Lett. Ser. ii. II. 55 Itt [Toledo] is the paynefullist towne that ever mann duellyd in. Itt is through so up hyll and downe hyll. 1604E. G[rimstone] D'Acosta's Hist. Indies iii. x. 152 These eighteene leagues of land..is more painefull and chargeable then 2300 by sea. 1665–6Phil. Trans. I. 90 The way of winding off the silk..which is the painfullest and nicest of all the rest. 1676Dryden Aurengz. i. i, By quick and painful Marches hither came. 1858Froude Hist. Eng. III. xiii. 97 Sums of money would be frequently offered them in lieu of a painful hospitality.
4. Characterized by painstaking; performed with labour, care, and attention; diligent, assiduous, laborious, careful. Obs. or arch.
c1380Wyclif Wks. (1880) 124 To holde sich pore lif and meke and peyneful in resonable abstynence. c1400Mandeville (1839) xvii. 184 He lost much peynfulle labour. 1565T. Stapleton tr. Bede's Hist. Ch. Eng. 79 In consideration of their vertuous sermons and painefull preaching. 1638in 10th Rep. Hist. MSS. Comm. App. v. 486 The long, paynfull and profitable service donne unto us by James Lynch. 1775E. Allen in Sparks Corr. Amer. Rev. (1853) I. 464 This is the situation..according to my most painful discoveries. 1834–43Southey Doctor vi. (1848) 18/2 The painful chronicle of honest John Stowe. 1894Nation (N.Y.) 21 June 470/3 The little book..will reward a not too painful reading.
5. Of persons: Characterized by taking pains; working with labour and care; painstaking, laborious, assiduous, careful, diligent. Obs. or arch.
1549Latimer 3rd Serm. bef. Edw. VI (Arb.) 91 We haue some as painfull magistrates, as euer was in Englande. 1612Capt. Smith Map Virginia 22 The women be verie painefull and the men often idle. 1702C. Mather Magn. Chr. i. v. (1852) 76 The more learned, godly, painful ministers of the land. 1802Mrs. Radcliffe Gaston de Blondeville Posth. Wks. 1826 I. 46 The patience of a painful antiquary. 1877Peile Philol. i. §14. 16 The laws of etymology, which painful students have discovered. |